Thursday, October 23, 2008

Corporate IT sinks Volvo Viewer

Previously I posted how the wonderful Virtual Spectator software (above) used in the Volvo Ocean Race 2004-5 isn't being made available for the current race, and what a shame that was as it was simply brilliant.

Well I emailed VOR HQ and got the following response:

"We require a browser-based flash raceviewer for this race, because one of the most constant complaints we received in the previous race was that race fans were unable to download and install the Virtual Spectator programme at work.

Virtual Spectator have supplied us with their latest 3D product, which unfortunately has been experiencing technical issues and it is taking time for the VS technicians to work out the problems and make fixes and improvements.

In the meantime, TracTrac have provided us with their 2D viewer as a back-up raceviewer while we find a solution to the raceviewer difficulties, and you may have noticed that new features are being introduced on this 2D raceviewer as the race progresses. "

Now there's no problem downloading and running VS on my work PC as I've given myself Admin rights, and anyhow we're a small company. But we've heard of cases where users of our software not only can't install it themselves but get an internal charge from their IT department to do something they'd rather do themselves.

Its a shame that such a good piece of s/w should be hobbled because of over controlling corporate jobs-worths.

Of course not getting access to a race viewer (which BTW surely is two words not one) or having an inferior one means higher productivity at work and less time spent following the action, but you wouldn't have thought that was something VOR would like to see.

And even if the Volvo site had an improve web based viewer, surely that wouldn't stop the old software still being available?

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